The Google alerts have been bringing way too many stories of pit bulls tortured: This week in Seattle, a dog was tied to a cement block and tossed into a river to drown. And in Alberta, Canada, another was doused in gasoline and burned nearly to death. What cruel bastards we humans can be.

We've been noticing an increase in burn injuries on dogs over the past 5 or so years. In many cases, the burns walk down the backbone, as if someone poured butane and lit a match. This back belongs to BR dog Deja Blu by the way. Like a lightening bolt that you can see with closed eyes, it's hard for me to look at this without seeing the flames. Thankfully, she doesn't seem especially sensitive there, and her new home more than makes up for that hellish moment ... In fact, outside of tending her with salves & sunscreen, the scar is barely on their radar: What's done is done.

While burns like Deja's seem intentional - and may be connected with a gang initiation or some other form of cruel dare-you game - another common pattern shows up as random burns scattered & dotted all around dogs' bodies. It's not a coincidence that these injuries are increasing right along with the number of meth lab-related burns coming into ERs all over the country. Just another way that pit bulls silently reflect the social ills of the two-legged animals.

RESILIENCE 2 : an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

Ted Baby

In the face of cruelty, you just have to keep on trucking....

Vick dog #5 gave us a big happy by leaving to his foster/adopt home today. Teddles - who may choose to ignore you unless you call him Ted BAY-BEE - will have a new sister dog and a devoted family with happy plans that include helping him earn his Therapy Dog title. Amazingly, his new mom Cindy didn't know he was a Vick dog when she applied to adopt him. Ha!

Ted's foster mom Christine told her son Sam this morning that "Ted doesn't live with us anymore." GULP I can't imagine what a two year old brain does with that kind of information, but we're so grateful that he gave Ted the last 8 months of his life. Thank you kindly, little Sam.

Ted stole my heart completely in VA during a pre-roadtrip bath out on the shelter lawn. He was too big and dorky to be a fighting dog and is one of the biggest clowns you can imagine. We had the good fortune of watching him for a few days recently and loved every minute. Here's a quick clip of Tim enjoying him in the morning. Notice Ted wince about mid-way through when Tim raises his hand with the toy. Somebody in his past heavy handed this guy. Like Deja, he keeps on keeping on.